benefits to the mentors and mentees

8/4/2019 Benefits to the Mentors and Mentees

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Benefits to the Mentors and Mentees

The benefits to both mentor and mentee should be emphasized

during the training. Mentoring is a two-way relationship; both the

mentors and mentees should experience benefits. Often the role of

mentor and mentee will change as the relationship develops.

Mentors should view a mentoring relationship as both an opportunity

to teach their mentees and to learn from them.

In a mentoring relationship, an exchange of information may

prompt the mentor to examine his or her own standards and

philosophy. The mentor gains satisfaction by sharing knowledge,

expertise, and influence, and seeing the student develop. The

mentor may earn the mentee's respect and receive a well-desired

boost in self-esteem (Washington State Department of Personnel,

1993).

The benefits for mentor and mentee are described in the mentor

and mentee handbooks (Brainard and Ailes-Sengers, 1994). As part

of the training session, you may want to use the Mentors in My Life

Activity to ~ brainstorm the benefits of mentoring. Suggest that the

participants write additional ideas in their handbooks.

Mentoring benefits both

mentor and mentee.

Benefits of Having a Mentor Benefits of Being a Mentor Individual recognition,

encouragement, and support

Increased self-esteem andconfidence when dealing withprofessionals

Confidence to challenge oneselfto achieve new goals andexplore alternatives

A realistic perspective of theworkplace

Advice on how to balance workand other responsibilities andset priorities

Knowledge of workplace "do'sand don'ts"

Experience in networking

Satisfaction of helping a studentreach her academic andprofessional goals

Recognition at work forparticipation in a job-relatedactivity

An expanded network ofprofessional colleagues

Recognition for service to thecommunity

Increased self-esteem, self-confidence and affirmation ofprofessional competence


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Responsibilities of Mentors and Mentees

In addition to clarifying the objectives of mentoring, both mentors

and mentees need to understand their responsibilities in the mentoring

relationship. Since this is a two-way relationship, both parties need tobe accountable for their actions or neither party will benefit. The

Mentors In My Life Activity works well in this training section also.

Being responsible in any relationship requires adhering to common

and professional courtesies such as:

Mentees need toshow interest in thementoringrelationship.

. Being considerate;

. Returning phone calls;

. Scheduling the next contact each time you meet;

. Attending scheduled meetings or calling to cancel;

. Notifying change of address or change of phone number;

. Contacting each other on a regular basis;

. Following through on agreed upon responsibilities;

. Verbally ending the relationship if it does not work.

Mentors and mentees may decide upon specific responsibilities

that need to be met during the mentorship. For example, a mentor may

suggest that the mentee read and discuss a book or article that will

give her some insight on a particular topic. If the mentee agrees to this

suggestion and does not follow through, her inaction may seem like

disinterest or disregard for the mentor's advice. Both mentor and

mentee need to follow through on any of the responsibilities that they

agree upon.

Being responsible inamentoring relationshipbuilds respect and trust

ua t es

It may help mentors to reflect on some of the qualities of successful

mentors. Above all, mentors should enjoy helping and watching othersachieve their goals. Mentees need a mentor who is knowledgeable and

maintains a balance between praise, criticism and advice. Some of the

qualities of successful mentors are listed below; however, one person

rarely possesses all of these qualities.


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Mentors should be:. Committed to the mentoring relationship;. Respectful of individuals and alternate lifestyles;

. Good listeners;

. Non-judgmental;

. Sensitive to another person's struggle;

. Stable and flexible;

. Honest, patient and trustworthy.

Expectations

Mentee Mentor Why do you want a mentor? What do you want to learn from your

mentor? What work-related skills would you

like your mentor to have? What interpersonal skills would you

like your mentor to have? Do you expect your mentor to find

you a job? Are there any specific activities you

would like to do with your mentor? How often do you want to meet with

your mentor? Would you like your conversations

with your mentor to be confidential?

Why do you want to mentor? What do you see as your role: to

lead, to listen, or both? How much time do you have to

spend with your mentee? What topics are you

uncomfortable discussing? Are you willing to have your

mentee tour your workplace? What activities would you like to

do with your mentee? How can you increase the

comfort level of your mentee? Is confidentiality an issue for

you?

Before meeting for the first time, mentors and mentees should reflect on the

expectations they have for their relationship. By first doing this individually,

mentors and mentees can think freely about their own needs without being

influenced by one another. Some questions that mentors and mentees should

consider when thinking about expectations include:

Expectations of mentors and men tees vary and should not be limited to the

examples. As the mentoring relationship grows, expectations will change. Mentors

and mentees should try to remain aware of their expectations and discuss them

with one another on an on-going basis.


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How To Define Mutual Expectations

Fundamental to the success of a mentoring relationship is a common

understanding of the expectations each partner has for the relationship. Most

conflicts that arise during mentoring relationships can be prevented with frank

discussions at the outset. The mentee may find it hard to express expectations to

the mentor until a level of trust is established. However difficult it may be, mentors

and mentees should discuss their personal expectations, set the ground rules, and

develop a clear and realistic set of expectations. These tasks should be completed

at the first meeting.

The Expectation Worksheet provided in the handbooks will facilitate this

discussion. The topics on the worksheet include: reasons for

participating in mentoring; what participants hope to get out of mentoring and their

desires for mentoring activities; any boundaries they wish to set on the relationship;

and the amount of time they will commit to the relationship. A sample mentee

expectation worksheet is included at the end of the Core Curriculum. If mentors and

mentees prefer a formal method of setting these expectations, a mentoring contract

can facilitate this. Mentoring contracts are discussed at the end of this section.

During their first meeting, the mentor and mentee should take the following

steps (Washington State Department Personnel, 1993):

Discuss why they want to be in a mentoring relationship. Define their

roles in the mentoring relationship.

Share what they have to offer in the relationship, e.g., knowledge, skills,resources, etc.

Outline the concrete skills the mentee hopes to learn.

Review the specific information the mentee hopes to gain. Clarify any

limits that they may have for the relationship. Discuss how they will

deal with confidentiality issues.

Determine any time constraints in the length of the mentoring relationship.

. Discuss preferred ways of interacting: phone calls, email, or face-to-face.

. Decide on the number and length of contacts per month.

. Plan the dates and times in advance.

. Agree on a procedure for notifying each other if one will be late or absent.

. Agree on the appropriateness of where and when to call.

. Discuss the mentee's attire or other behaviors for visiting the mentor'sworkplace.


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Student Mentee Objectives Rememberto showinterest in your mentor.

The objectives for having a mentor vary. As a student, you should expect

mentoring to facilitate your personal and career development through a relationship

with a role model in your field. Your specific objectives of being mentored should

include gaining (Brainard and Ailes-Sengers, 1994):

. Exposure to positive role models;

. Access to the professional community;

. Guidance that will ease the transition from school to work;

. Personal and career guidance;

. An expanded horizon.

Remember that mentoring will not cure problems, magically open doors or get you

a job. Try to be realistic about your goals for being in a mentoring relationship.

A mentor can help you:. Meet new people. Make career decisions Increase technical knowledge

Develop career potential. Develop as a person. Learn career-related politics

References:

Brainard, S.G. and Ailes-Sengers, L.A. (1994). Mentoring female engineeringstudents: A model program at the University of Washington. Journal of Womenand Minorities in Science and Engineering, 1, (2), 123-35.

Washington State Department of Personnel (1993). A Guide to Planning andConducting an Agencys Mentoring Program. Olympia, WA.

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